CHIANG RAI – Police have arrested two men who were caught driving a rental car loaded with methamphetamine pills. The arrest took place during the night as they attempted to move the meth pills from the border area in Mae Ai, Chiang Mai, to a network in Chiang Rai.
Narcotics Suppression Police detained Mr. Narongdet, 52, and Mr. Sonthaya, 44, both from Surat Thani, and seized 5 million methamphetamine pills, a sedan, and two mobile phones.
The pair now face charges for distributing a type 1 narcotic (methamphetamine) with intent to sell without permission. The charge pertains to acts that pose a threat to public safety or national security.
Police had been tracking the group after learning about a plan to smuggle the drugs from the Thai-Myanmar border in Mae Ai. The shipment was set to be delivered to a group in Mae Korn, Chiang Rai.
Officers monitored several vehicles leaving Mae Ai and heading toward Chiang Rai on a secondary route.
One of the vehicles, a white Toyota sedan with Chiang Rai plates, was identified as a rental. Police intercepted it at the Suan Dok intersection in Mae Korn.
Inside, they found Narongdet driving and Sonthaya as the passenger. The rental car held over 25 rice sacks filled with about 200,000 pills each, totalling 5 million meth pills. Officers arrested both men and handed them over, along with the evidence, to investigators for legal action.
Meanwhile, Narcotics Suppression Police inspected a warehouse and found one ton of a white powder with a strong odour packed in six chemical drums and four plastic bags. The appearance made them suspect it was a chemical used for illegal drugs or another banned substance.
Samples of the chemical were sent to the Office of the Narcotics Control Board’s Narcotics Analysis and Research Institute for detailed laboratory testing. The results showed the substance was mainly PMK Ethyl Glycidate, an ester of PMK glycidic acid, with some PMK mixed in.
Both chemicals are classified as Schedule 4 precursors and can be used to make MDMA, the main ingredient in ecstasy. Investigators believe the seized amount could produce about 10 million ecstasy pills.
The Office of the Narcotics Control Board will collect all evidence and move forward with legal action against everyone involved.
Reported by the Bangkok News Team, Siam News.
